British police raided an illegal Bitcoin mining facility that stole electricity because they thought it was a cannabis plant.
In a strange series of events, UK police closed a Bitcoin mine, for illegal theft of electricity energy, after it was revealed by police who thought it was a cannabis farm.
West Midlands law enforcement said they had been made aware of a unit being "visited by a number of people". A police aircraft passing overhead reported receiving a significant source of heat from the location of, on the Great Bridge Industrial Estate in Sandwell. Of course, the officers were convinced they were looking at the "tall" signs of a classic cannabis plant.
But when they entered the site on May 18, they found an array of 100 specialized bitcoin mining computers. Officials seized him latest technology equipment when they discovered that Bitcoin miners had stolen thousands of British pounds worth of electricity to power their operation. No one was home at the time of the raid, but police said they plan to contact the owner of the facility.
Bitcoin mining is an expensive, time-consuming task that essentially involves the resolution σύνθετων υπολογιστικών μαθηματικών προβλημάτων με αντάλλαγμα ένα μέρος της αμοιβής. Μια πρόσφατη μελέτη διαπίστωσε ότι η ενέργεια που χρησιμοποιείται για τη creation of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, is greater than the consumption of some countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands.
Sandwell Police Lt. Jennifer Griffin said: "Certainly not what we expected! It had all the hallmarks of a cannabis organization and I think it's the second cryptocurrency we came across in the West Midlands.
He added that while cryptocurrency mining itself is not illegal in the UK, electricity theft is clearly not allowed. Police said they have no intention of returning the computers, after seizing them permanently, as a product of crime.